Frugal Foodie Mama: Chili Stacks

These easy to make Chili Stacks are not only tasty, but they are budget friendly as well. Have this dish on your dinner table in 30 minutes or less...

I was provided a copy of the Good Cheap Eats Dinner in 30 Minutes cookbook to review. No other compensation was provided for this post or for hosting a giveaway. All opinions expressed below are my own.

This post may contain affiliate links. Purchasing through them helps support this website.

I think you all know by now that I am all about budget friendly and tasty meals. They make up a bulk of my meal plan each week, and I am always on the look out for new recipes to add to the rotation that won't break the bank. My good friend, Jessica from Good Cheap Eats has been an inspiration for me in that department for a couple of years now. And every time that she comes out with a new cookbook, I get just a tad bit giddy inside. So when I was contacted to review her newest cookbook- Good Cheap Eats Dinner in 30 Minutes (Or Less!)- it was a no-brainer for me. ;)

Dinner in 30 Minutes (Or Less!) happens to be Jessica's fourth cookbook now. (Pssstttt... Don't miss the cookbook giveaway at the end of this post!) I also had the pleasure of reviewing her Good Cheap Eats cookbook around this time last fall. You can check that review out by clicking here.

But let's get back to her newest cookbook... :) Dinner in 30 Minutes (Or Less!) is packed with over 200 all new quick and budget friendly recipes. And trust me when I say this, folks- It was hard to narrow it down to just one recipe from her cookbook that I would be sharing with you all today! But these easy and delicious Chili Stacks made the cut. These Chili Stacks are based on a recipe that Jessica's mother used to make when she needed a quick & economical dinner to feed her five kiddos...

Chili Stacks

by Frugal Foodie Mama

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients (6 servings)

3/4 to 1 pound ground beef or turkey
1/2 cup chopped onion
one 14.5 ounce can petite diced tomatoes (I used a 10 oz can of diced tomatoes with green chiles instead.)
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon cumin
6 corn tortillas (I used 3 larger flour tortillas instead.)
2 cups shredded jack or cheddar cheese
optional toppings: chopped fresh cilantro, sliced green onions, sliced black olives, sour cream

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a pie plate with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large skillet, brown the beef and onions until the meat is cooked through and the onions have turned clear, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce and seasonings and cook another 3 minutes.

Layer the tortillas, sauce, and cheese in the prepared baking dish.

Bake for 15 minutes until hot and the cheese is melted and bubbly.

If you like, serve wedges of the casserole with the toppings.

Enjoy!

Recipe originally published on Good Cheap Eats.

I made a couple of tweaks of my own to Jessica's recipe for these Chili Stacks. Since my family and I love a little kick of heat, I substituted the diced tomatoes for a can of the diced tomatoes with green chiles. I didn't have any corn tortillas on hand, so I used flour tortillas instead for this recipe. Since flour tortillas are generally much larger than corn ones, I only needed 3 for this recipe. I would even suggest adding a can of black beans or kidney beans to this recipe to make it even more filling and stretch it a little more.

My family gave these Chili Stacks a thumbs up all around, and it will definitely be making an appearance on our weekly meal plan on the regular now. :)